Life goes on
by Alien Angie
Summary: continuation of 2x13
1. Chapter 1

_Justified 2x13 continuation_

_Raylan stared at Mags Bennet. He frowned, he felt a deep sorrow at the death of this woman. Criminal, family enemy…murderer. But still he held a deep respect for her. She had grown up in Harlan. Married in Harlan, widowed in Harlan._

_Survived in Harlan._

_Not an easy thing for a woman to do, and Mags had done it. Created an empire for her and her family. An empire that had come to an end, on one Thursday afternoon._

_It was the end of an era._

_Art watched his agents control the scene. Doyle Bennet lay where he had fallen. A well placed shot from Marshall Tim Gutterson saving Raylan's life without a doubt. _

_Art tried not to think of what the outcome would have been if his nagging conscience hadn't made him listen to Winona._

_He heard a scuffle and watched Dickie Bennet struggling in the arms of two of his Marshalls._

_He strode over_

"_Mr Bennet…we have you on murder, attempted murder, assault, brandishing a firearm, possession of narcotics with intent to distribute… I think its in your best interest *not* to add resisting arrest to that list."_

_Dickie opened his mouth, but Art cut him off_

"_I wont warn you again."_

_Dickie fell silent, and allowed himself to be manhandled into the back of the cruiser. Art turned to one of the Marshalls._

"_Take him back and process him, I'll be back shortly."_

_The man nodded and got in the car. Art sighed, he looked at the scene. It looked like the OK Corral. Doyle's men were being loaded into cruisers, The coroner had just arrived and was making his way to Doyle's body. He turned away, looking for the one man he wanted to speak to. _

_Raylan._

_Raylan sat staring at the body, deep in thought. The liquor had left him feeling light-headed. Or maybe that was the blood loss, he wondered idly, feeling warm blood soak into the waistband of him jeans._

_He hurt._

_His ankle burned from the rope Dickie had hung him with. His sides and elbows were tender from the blows with the bat, and his side was a burning mass of agony from where the bullet had tore through his body._

_Art saw Tim and Rachel with a young girl Art assumed to be Loretta McCready, but no Raylan._

"_Tim!"_

_Tim looked up startled_

"_Art?"_

"_Where's Raylan?"_

_Tim nodded towards the house._

"_Still inside, with Mrs Bennet."_

_Art felt a small tug of alarm. Raylan had been inside for getting on 10 minutes, and had made no move to come out. Art felt a little better when he realised that there had been no more gunfire - but knowing Raylan that didn't mean he wasn't in trouble._

_He moved towards the house, the front door was open and he walked in cautiously, gun drawn but not raised._

"_Raylan?" He called. No answer_

"_Raylan? Mrs Bennet?" Art felt a chill as there was still no answer, he moved further into the house, and saw Raylan sitting at a table. He glanced at Mags Bennet and saw that she was dead._

"_Raylan?" He asked again, no answer. He holstered his gun and strode over to his Marshall, his heart pounding in fear. He placed a hand on his shoulder, "Raylan!" He felt a shred of relief as he stirred under his hand but didn't wake._

"_Tim! Get a medic in here!" He called, worry creeping into his voice. He knew, he *knew* he shouldn't have let Raylan go in that house. He also knew that with one look in his eyes there was no way he would be able to stop him._

"_Art?" Raylan spoke softly_

"_Raylan…how are you feeling?" Art asked, worry in his voice_

"_Been better…" he said softly, his eyes starting to close again._

_Art reached out and slapped him across the face - hard. Raylans eyes opened quickly, clearer this time._

"_Don't you dare pass out on me Raylan Givens…at my age my heart cant cope with this kind of stress!"_

_Raylan managed a ghost of a smile_

"_Do my best, Art…" He grimaced as pain shot through him. He was tired. It had been a damn long few days, and he was tired of fighting his one man war. Of trying to make sense of his life… "Where's Loretta?" he asked, looking around._

"_She's outside with Rachel, she's a little upset…" Raylan nodded_

"_She'll be ok now. Its over…she can start again. Get out of here and forget this place…start again…" Raylan tailed off softly and Art remembered their conversation earlier that morning._

"_Do you still want to leave Raylan? Youre gonna have some sick time coming…"_

_Raylan shook his head_

"_I don't know…Art…I don't feel right…" He whispered_

_Art blanched, fear creeping in his gut. _

"_Raylan, Im going to move you, ok?"_

_Raylan nodded softly, his chin falling on his chest._

_Art stood, and grasped Raylans chair, pulling it slowly away from the table. He swallowed thickly when he saw the blood dripping onto the floor._

"_Raylan, help me out here. Im just gonna lie you on the floor. A medic is gonna be here any second ok?" Raylan nodded_

"_Ready?" Art grasped Raylan under his shoulders and eased his up out of the chair, he couldn't refrain from grunting sharply in pain as Art eased him to the ground. _

"_Shit!" He gasped. Art had grabbed a towel and was pressing it tightly to the wound. He panted in agony._

"_Sorry…Tim! Where's that medic?"_

_Tim entered the house, he looked at Raylan…_

"_Five minutes Art…on their way…" Art squeezed Raylans shoulder reassuringly._

"_Hear that Raylan. Five minutes and then you get the good drugs."_

_Raylan tried to smile, but a shudder ran through his body making him grimace._

"_Tim, find a blanket - hes going into shock. Hes lost a lot of blood."_


	2. Chapter 2

Authors note:

First of all, thanks! This is my first foray into writing fan fiction in a long, long, long time! Nice to know that there's people out there reading this. So to each and every one of you - a big heartfelt thank you! :D

Secondly…apologies for the lack of formatting. My notebook has decided that Word no longer exists, or has any right to be on it, so all this is typed up in Works. For some reason the formatting doesn't carry over onto … L

And so on to part 2...enjoy the ride J

"Raylan, you still with me?" Art asked, trying to keep the worry out his voice. It wasn't the first time he had had a Marshall down, but there was more between he and Raylan than just fellow law officers. They had history.

"Wish I wasn't…" Art laughed, and accidentally leant harder on Raylan's wound

"Fuck! Especially when you do that!" He gasped "Oh shit…" he groaned

"Sorry…" Art said sheepishly, he looked at Raylan, his pallor almost grey. "Tim where's that blanket?"

"Here Art…sorry…" Tim handed it over and Art draped it over the wounded man, even so, they could still see the shudders that racked Rayland body.

"That's better, thanks." he said softly

"You've always been a lousy liar Raylan. Amazing considering who your father is!" Art said with a wan smile.

Raylan just looked at Art, he didn't want to think about Arlo. Helen…the family home. Those gravestones in the back yard. Two of them already occupied…he didn't want to think about the stone with his name, waiting for him…not now. Not now.

He was saved from having to answer by the sound of sirens, Art motioned to Tim.

"Go fetch them in." Tim nodded, as he walked past Raylan, a hand reached out and grasped his ankle with surprising strength.

"Tim…thanks…" Raylan said softly, breath coming in soft grunts as he tried to keep the pain under control.

Tim smiled

"Well, Raylan. I would say anytime, but I don't think this is a situation I should encourage!" he carried on walking whistling 'I will always love you' softly as he passed. Raylan chuckled, then grimaced in pain.

"Something I should know about you two?" Art asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Long story Art…" Raylan said softly, lines of pain creasing his forehead.

Art noticed the change in his Marshall and squeezed his shoulder in support.

"…early 40's, gunshot wound to the flank…" Art glanced up as he saw Tim Gutterson leading the paramedics into the house.

They crouched next to Raylan

"Marshall, how you hanging in there?" Raylan frowned at him

"Great…" he said, his voice dripping with as much sarcasm as he could muster

"Sorry…Im Toby Mitchell, this beauty is Georgie, my partner…"

Raylan tried to look, but couldn't see. He tried to lift his shoulders off the ground, but didn't make it far before the pain drove him back down, groaning in pain.

"Easy there partner, don't want you too excited…"

"Toby…!" A voice admonished, Raylan smiled softly as he finally saw the 2nd medic, she smiled back.

Toby moved over to Art, and nodded at the sodden dressing. Art understood and moved aside, as Toby lifted the dripping rag.

Raylan flinched, but went ignored.

Blood immediately spilled out of the small hole and Toby pressed back down.

"Georgie I need a pressure dressing asap!" He looked at Art. "Press down." He instructed, handing him back the towel.

Raylan groaned long and deep at the pressure.

"Woah, Toby. Blood pressure just took a nosedive!" Georgie said, alarm in her voice.

"Right, hook him up. Saline and plasma. Call it in. Gonna need 8 units of O-neg on standby." Toby looked at Art, "What's his blood type?" Art shook his head.

"I can find out, it'll be on file at the office. Tim…" Tim nodded.

"On it." He pulled out his cell phone

Toby moved to Raylans side, gauze pads in hand.

"Right…"

"Art"

"Right Art…I need you to stay here, and put as much pressure on these pads as you can. Don't worry about hurting him. Just press as hard as you can."

Art nodded and leant down. His heart sank as Raylan tried to curl in on himself, gasping in agony at the pressure. Toby grabbed his shoulder and pulled him flat.

"Easy Marshall…"

Raylan gasped in agony, trying to catch his breath, but failing. He felt his vision starting to fade. Georgie noticed the change in their patient.

"Toby get the 02! Slow breaths Marshall…" She placed the mask over his face but it soon steamed up. He grabbed at his chest…

"Chest pain?" Raylan nodded.

"Toby, need a 2nd I.V…he's really shocky. Getting tachycardic…" Art watched as they worked around Raylan, limp on the floor.

"Right, lets get him out of here! On three. One…two…three!" Raylan landed on the gurney with a soft thunk. Toby took Arts place as they rushed the gurney out. Raylan weakly raised his head to look at Art.

"Winona…"

"Don't worry Raylan. I'll call her."

Art never saw Raylan shake his head "No"

Loretta was sitting in the passenger seat of a cruiser, feet resting on the floor, head in hands.

She looked about 40 years old, a young soul aged prematurely by recent events. Rachel stood next to her protectively, but failing to engage the girl in conversation.

Suddenly Loretta, jumped to her feet.

"Raylan!"

Rachel turned just in time to see the doors slam shut on the Ambulance. The siren cut through the silence as it disappeared.

Art walked out of the house, Tim at his side. Rachel started to walk over, but was beaten by Loretta.

"How's Raylan." She asked, looking up at him with sorrowful eyes.

Art looked down at Loretta, then Rachel. He could feel Rayland blood drying on his hands.

"He's bad…"

AN…(part 2) Ok, and so ends chapter 2! I hope it was ok. Im not a doctor. Any medical knowledge I have has been learnt from ER and House, so please excuse any inaccuracies! :D lol

Part 3 will be up asap


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